Salient is another one of those words favored by lawyers probably owing to it being such a concise word in a legal context. I have lost count of the number of times a judge has said to me, “Mister Bentley, pray tell me the salient points of your argument,” and this is usually following his reading of my written argument. The judge is not giving counsel the “brush-off.” He or she is asking counsel to articulate the main points so it can be entered into the court record. However, experienced counsel will also know that this question may also signify the judge codifying the message to the effect the argument has no merit whatsoever! Enough reminiscing – this is what Merriam-Webster has to say [the…
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